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Aerenal
Aerenal is an elven populated island just south of Khorvaire. The history of the elves goes back far before the time of the birth of Galifar. In the Age of Giants, the eladrin race were enslaved from the Feywild and taken to Xen'Drik. For a thousand years the eladrins were slaves to the giants. During this time, the eladrins grew farther and farther away from their fey routes and became the race known as elves. After an elven rebellion, a war broke out between the two races and almost tore Xen'Drik asunder. The dragons of Argonnessen ultimately intervened in the war and leveled the land. However, an elven slave by the name of Aeren foresaw this destruction using stolen magic from the giants. She eventually led the elves to the islands that were later named after her. Presently, the island of Aerenal is home to several lines of elven families. However, overtime, the cities along the coast were populated by adventurers and dragonmarks. The undying also reside in Aerenal and only appear on the main island. Valen's Isles Valen's Isle is populated by several small elven towns and forest dwelling creatures. Unlike the other elven bloodlines, this isle is not under any influence of the main island. Valen, an elf from Shae Cairdal, rejected the ways of the noble lines and migrated to the isles where others could separate from elven tradition. Majarin The Majarin is another isle similar to Valen Isles. It is free from the traditional lines of elves and undying that populate the main island. The population that lives here have built small settlements along the coastal waters and a few villages reside within Majarin's forest. It is less populated area of Aerenal, even though it is the largest surrounding isle. Majarin and Valen's Isle usually have trade and commerce with the Valenar region. Aerenal's Landscape Aerenal's landscape is made up tropical forests where the elven population built their cities along the river's edge. There are three major forests, The Madwood, Blackwood Jungle, and Moondagger Forest. There is one opening in Aerenal known as Moon's Peak. Toward the south there are the Sundering Mountains and Sun's Island. These two landscapes are largely uninhabited by humanoid races. 'Moon's Peak' Despite the name, Moon's Peak is a fairly level plain with rivers running toward the center of the island. This area is traveled by nomads and herds of animals. On a full moon, the night sky is surprisingly bright in this area. 'Sun's Island' This island is uninhabited by humanoid creatures. It is a forest much like the rest of the main island, with the exception of green dragons being said to live there. Clouds also never seem to form here, yet there is no drought and the forest remains lush. 'Sundering Mountains' In the past the dragons would battle with the elves of Aerenal. A testament to their bloody battles can be seen in the Sundering Mountains. Nothing is seen here except the barren wastes and the mountain dwelling creatures that live there. The Forests of Aerenal The three forests of Aerenal houses the three lines of elves. The Sherva, Theren, and Moondagger lines. Each line has a different culture, but each follow the same traditional elven ways. 'The Madwood' The Madwood gets it name from the fey origins of the elves. The magic of the feywild have driven some insane and this very magic still lingers within this forest. Some magical creatures and spirits live within this forest as well as a magical line of elves. The Sherva line of The Madwood use magical spells of the feywild and live in small settlements through the forest. They are seen as the "traditional" elves as they live in the forest and are sustained on very few modern advancements. 'Blackwood Jungle' ' The Blackwood Jungle yields some of the largest trees in Aerenal. It is a vast and luscious green forest that houses tree dwelling elves of the Theren line. It gets its name because the tall trees keep the forest floor out of the reach of sunlight. The Theren noble line of elves build their homes in the tall trees or in small settlements. They breed forest steeds to ride out in the Moon's Peak and for fast travel along the forest floor. The elves of this line are also found in the cities of Shae Cairdal and Shae Mordai. 'Moondagger Forest The Moondagger Forest is similar to Blackwood Jungle with the exception of not having towering trees. This area houses the line of Moondagger. The Moondagger noble line build small, self-sufficient communities or estates. These elves train heavily in martial combat and favor the Scimitar as their weapon of choice. The Cities of Aerenal The four main cities of Aerenal are where travelers and non-elves mainly stay. Few dare to venture into the deeper parts of Aerenal where some elves aren't too keen on seeing outsiders. '1. Shae Thoridor' This elven fortress is a port for commerce and incoming travelers. Foreigners come here to trade, learn, and gain a reputation among the elven population. This city also has an arena for displaying contests of skills and other forms of entertainment. Outside the tourist attraction of the arena, it can be fairly dangerous as elven warriors are eager to prove their strength to outsiders. The Undying also do not live in this city, which is another reason foreigners travel into the city. '2. Shae Cairdal' Shae Cairdal is the largest city in Aerenal and the royal seat of the Sibling Kings. The elves carved the city from the jungle shortly after they arrived from Xen'Drik. It meshes with the surrounding vegetation beautifully as many of its structures are formed from the still-living wood of the jungle canopy. Trees of immense size protect and hold aloft portions of the city. The fortress and home of the Sibling Kings is shaped from several enormous trees with iron-hard trunks. This structure sits at the center of the city. Shae Cairdal also has largest population of the undying outside of Shae Mordai. The headquarters of the Cairdal Blades takes up an entire great tree within the fortress of the Sibling Kings. Here, the Blades train and prepare for missions that take them across Aerenal and to other lands. They also watch the population for those who manifest the Mark of Shadow so that individuals can be inducted into their order. The Deathguard also reside in Shae Cairdal. It is an order of knights sworn to eradicate eviI and corrupted undead, along with any who would deal with such vile creatures. The order was originally formed to destroy the line of Vol. The knights consider the Blood of Vol to be their greatest enemy and their greatest failure. Most in the order follow the custom of appearing undead by having skull tattoos inscribed upon their faces. '3. Pylas Talaear' This is another port in Aerenal and where the Dragonmarked houses run their businesses in Aerenal. It is much like Shae Thoridor with the exception of being more friendly to foreign travelers. It is not as heavily walled as Shae Thoridor, nor does it have an arena for games. This port is purely for commence and trade. '4. Shae Mordai' Shae Mordai is the seat of the Undying Court and spiritual center of Aerenal. The undying are those who live even after death through the devotion of their followers. The undying don't suffer from the effects of death like other undead. The population has more undying than it does the living and is guarded by undying soldiers. The most revered undying wander the gardens and monuments of the city sometimes giving advice to the living. The city is devoted to study and devotion to the undying, as well as keeping the history of Aerenal. Category:Eberron Category:Locations